Green Day

I have arrived safely back in Ireland and am now in my second leg of teaching. Monday was my first day in the all-girls school and it is much quieter during the day and the lessons go by much quicker since the girls do not need to be reminded at least 10 times to stay on track. Learning names of 58 girls is a difficult task. Their uniforms are much more varied than the boys’ ever were and their hairstyles change from morning to afternoon. Teaching is much easier with an attentive audience and students who are not constantly talking over one another and shouting out answers. I am not saying that I prefer one over the other because I would actually love to stick with the mixture of boys and girls. I feel like the calmness of the girls does round out the loud edges of the boys.
In contrast, I believe that the boys’ effect on the girls’ cunning gossip subdues it for at least a couple of years. On the playground, the boys were always loud and involved in a game of football (soccer) or Power Rangers. It was easy to tell when a conflict arose and when a boy explained his strife, the entire conflict resolution session took about three minutes—maximum. In the girls’ yard, things are a bit different. It is incredibly difficult to tell when girls are ‘just playing’ or are congregating to make someone feel left out. And when one girl does call on me to explain her issue, then it could take upwards of three minutes to explain, then two minutes for me to understand exactly what the story is, and then five minutes to talk about the problem with the others involved. Girls are complicated! Sorry, Boys. Note: The girls I am working with are five-years to seven-years-old. If we are complicated by age five in any country, then I genuinely do feel bad for the male population. Just imagine how hard it is going to be for the boys in this town to transition from an all-boys school to the mixed secondary school after being segregated for 13 years! It will be like another world…or a zoo with a new species.
A side note about the state of Ireland right now: The weather is absolutely beautiful. The last three days have been similar to an Ohio summer with sunshine and warm sunrays. I am so appreciative to not be wearing four layers of clothing when I go to work in the school.